I think i have an unhealthy obsession with the person Yinkae's life. Go search google for "Yinkae". Find her life so interesting compared to mine. Especially all her naughtiness.
Sad cos I lost my wallet at floorball. A nice Orange Blue one, with attached chain.
My dreams are more deja vu. Somehow, for me the lines between dreams and reality are very blurred. Sort of like an alternate world, or perhaps, a window to my subconscious, my dreams tell me, visually what's most on my mind, and it sometimes makes up my mind for me.
Do dreams lead to reality, or reality give birth to dreams? Its something that I've been thinking about these weeks. Sometimes, my dreams do come true, the more realistic ones, other times, its like a shred of intelligence I never knew I had. If I read a book in my dream, it usually has a message, kinda like what happens when you read a book in a computer game. Yet, the dreamworld is obvious because of its un-interconnectedness. You know that you're reading a book, but the next event could have no specific relevance to the book itself.
I'll share a dream. There was once, in sec 1, that i turned to one side in my bed, and saw a sleeping person in a RGS uniform. I thought "Joy" and I went back to sleep. She's someone I met in pri 6, but since then, I never forgot her face. Then somewhere in sec 3, I dreamt that she had a party with a bunch of ACS guys (not having ever spoken to her since sec 1) and its just like that thread of friendship just severed itself. In RJ, I'd just ignore her and she'd just ignore me. I don't know, dreams are weird.
Other times, I'd have a dream about a normal day, where everything worked as I wanted, then I'd wake and realize that that wasn't a normal day, and I'd live an actual day after that. And throughout the day I'd be comparing the day to events in the dream. The dreams reminded me of some appointments that I could have forgot, and also stuff like bringing PE Kit.
Well, the Christian God is a touchy topic. I'll define gods as Omniscient, and Omnipotent. Of course, gods should be ideally be perfect. Perfect Gods should be predictable, since all knowing Gods will always make the best choices since they're all knowing, can see into the future etc. And since Perfect gods are predictable, and all powerful, all things in the world should be perfect. Since before something goes wrong, they can see it and effect steps to change it, or at that exact moment, change circumstances to avoid the problem.
However, there lies a problem of motive. If the world is really perfect, and everything in the world has its place, then what is the logical conclusion of the world? The world cannot end. That would be a waste of time and effort on the part of God. It could serve a purpose, but what purpose could there be beyond the confines of our universe.
Perhaps we don't have a God, at least not one that's actively involved. I suppose God has set the parameters and just pushed a button for the simulation to run. From there, we know that he is not all-knowing, or at least not All-seeing. He probably can't see into the future, being able to know everything about the current state of the world, and making a guess to what the eventual result could be. His meddlings in the past could just be the seed, that would lead to a final result, perhaps the level of technological achievement. Perhaps the level of emotional achievement. Perhaps just how much we can withstand what he can throw at us.
Then, we can conclude also, that even though he is in a position to help each and everyone of us, he doesn't do so. That would mean that he is not an emotional god, but a rational one, taking care of us only when we serve a certain role in his program.
uh. was that sacarstic? tell me more about the book. whats it about?
the feynman book has got bits on dreaming- this guy (noble prizewinner) actually tried 'observing' himself asleep and dreaming. quite interesting. its a good (and funny) book lah, but some bits are draggy. read it if you want.
the thing about dreams is that theyre subconscious and can tell others (and yourself) weird and surprising things about what matters to you...
maybe i'm insecure?
hm.
of the dreams i remember- i dream some stuff i wouldn't like others to know were actually in my subconscious...
as in i wouldn't like others to know the weird stuff found in my subconscious.
some things i figured would be in there but weren't
others i didnt think would affect me that deeply but actually got in.
that's quite strange...
i shall be honest. the dream that left me in a haze for days was some saccharine love story...
it was actually pretty nice while it lasted. very very vivid. i can still remember it perfectly. but highly improbable. but all the same i went round for days wondering if i was going to marry every other guy i saw on the streets.
oh well.
i dream about track too.
i dreamt i replaced someone in the relay team (among other post-nats-sydrome things)
it wasnt ill intentioned; i think i just forgot about her.
oh dear.
for three nights after nats ended i dreamt (quite vividly) about running and track in varying degrees.
those were mostly happy dreams.
when i stopped dreaming about track and only about running on the streets (a little bit), i figured i was recovering from my hangover.
since then i havent had any vivid dreams.
oh! i'm track treasurer.
by some form of default; long story.
i wonder how they can trust me with their accounts...
ohwell. will work very hard next year.
did i tell you i want a double gold?
i tripped and lost a medal this nats; i was originally second.
so!
i could describe my dreams very detailedly... but they just get embarassing.
when i was young i had nightmares where my mum was walking away and i called her and chased after her but i wasnt moving and she didnt stop. i dreamt it a few times, i think. it was in a carpark, for some reason. with a slope.
at one point there was some fire ad, where a fireman saves this boy's teddy bear. dya remember? apparently i was quite deeply affected by it, strangely. i dreamt about it- it was the scary kind where theres nothing that really scares you but a horrible feeling which just gets worse until you wake up... there were flames coming through the floor tiles at home. small ones. they werent hot at all. so they werent really scary. we had to go elsewhere, but everywhere i went small flames popped up through the floor. i just felt worse and worse... another one which felt the same, the uneasy feeling thing, i was at a thrift shop looking at toasters. nothing very scary at all. but it was horrible.
do you find that if youre dreaming and just before the alarm rings youre heading to the phone or right next to the phone or ON the phone? (or something.) is it a biological clock (and a very accurate one) or a trick of the mind?
i remember nightmares very well.
often when i dream i read books, and everything is lucid, but when i wake up nothing i've read makes sense.. i dreamt i was in the 3rd or 4th harry potter the other week and everything seemed to be happening as in the book, only when i woke up and remembered what i dreamed it wasn't in any of them. my dreams are usually clear, and i can remember the more vivid ones when i wake up. i dreamt once that if you wrapped yourself in blankets and sheets you could fly.. anyone has any nice dreams to share?
i haven't the foggiest who feynman is, i'm reading something called stupid white men by a white man who laments american society. complete with lots of facts and biased opinions, what fun!
oh and did you see richard feynman's book?
you must be joking mr feynman
its got this fascinating bit on dreams.
i hope the line breaks actually come out.
my goodness. you two keep the blog alive.
if we were created perfect, then we wouldnt have gone wrong...
hmm? whatever.
in the first place is every god hungry?
assuming there are more than one god.
no. that did not make sense.
basically. a God need not be hungry. that would be a fallible god
not quite fitting with what we would call a god.
the basic premise. were debating in school.
i think the way God made us
He made us
wound us up
and let us run down
and in the meantime He's got a better one
and He's satisfied with it, and it won't run down this time
did you see that thing about this cyborg guy?
seems to apply more to him.
go see.
he's fallible.
that's the diff
notice i talk more after nats. :P
oh and i'd like to say something
my dreams are sometimes blurry
but if i remember them
theyre sharp ones
they seem utterly, utterly believable
but theyre not really
often the same dream-place reoccurs
and it looks familiar coz i dreamt there before
i don't see myself in my dreams. do you? as in third or first person.
it just feels real
and when i wake up
i take some time to get back to reality
once i dreamt something which left me in a haze for three days.
i couldnt forget it
i still remember this nightmare i had when i was four.
i look forward to dreams.
and i'll post and publish, ok? :)
in that case, i'm not sure if "enslavement" is the right term. and how about a God that existed in the beginning, started creating, then settled down to watch. at the first, he interfered when the world was drifting off perfect. but then, he just decided to watch. until things were drastically imperfect. then he sent some help [ok by now this is the Christian God, i know, i don't care, He's the only one I'm concerned with :P] to get a little reform done, and planned an end of the world. and then, he just left things to go on. and if that's what God did, i want to know : is he right now leaving this world alone and instead starting another project elsewhere that he'll fiddle with after we've gone, exploded, imploded, fallen apart? if humans were created perfect where did sin come from? God created everything so everything should have started off perfect; did sin just pop up out of perfection? like machines; they are made to run perfectly but after a while they overheat and die. i've ceased to make sense, maybe you can.
I think its the school's computer system. The proxy doesn't clear its cache, so I don't see the changes and publish twice.
What I find particularly interesting with Humans is how seperate the rational mind is from the emotional mind, and how much of persuasion relies on the manipulation between the two.
And its particularly interesting to note that rational is the direct opposite of emotional in so many ways. Social cachet(Emotional Value) is economically worthless(Rational Value) in terms of actual dollars and cents. Love(Emotional Value) is a liability, in terms of incurred costs(Rational Value)... I could go on and on.
Death, to the rational mind, is therefore a horrible thing if you haven't experienced your fullest potential, but would be a wonderful thing if you're now only a liability.
Death, to the emotional mind, would be worthless if you didn't agree with the causes they died for, and would be priceless if you agreed with them.
I don't see it as a paradox-sense. Its like a logical conclusion. A God that hungers for power, would love to imprison and enslave others. Enslaving the self(when one has enslaved all other) would be the greatest, most fulfilling thing a hungry God could do. A God that loves to create, so to speak, will keep creating bigger and better things, until he has created himself, or a better than himself. But if he created himself, or created someone better than himself, he would no longer have control over himself, having given control to his creation, thus being entrapped in a world he created. A god that loves to watch his creation, would watch his creation for eternity, because its all perfect, and he cannot make a more perfect one. And watching his creation for eternity would enslave him in his own world, so to speak.
From the three examples above, I postulate that all motives will result in the eventual enslavement of an omnipresent, omnipotent God.
eh, kenneth, is there a need to post twice? or do we absorb concepts better when we read them twice? sorry it doesn't work that way - once people realize it's a rerun they stop reading and scroll on. is it just you and me left? i apologize. i will press post and publish if and when i remember to.
"It makes me feel horribly pompous and American. " i like the way you put it. so succinct. thank you. national day is coming up, you know.
who's afraid of death? i ask it again. i would only be afraid of death if i died without completing what i wanted to do. and that is why life is easier one small task at a time, instead of toiling towards a momentous goal. bits of achievement add up like [they don't have cents on this keyboard, how peculiar. americans! ] it just depends whether you want your happiness in instalments or a lump sum.
life is full of paradoxes. the way you ask, "Could a God create a world that he could not escape?" sounds like someone painting themselves into a corner. but i don't believe that the God i believe in would do that. i think it's possible, but it depends on the kind of god. a fallible, semiscient one perhaps could. but fallible and semiscient are not words one ordinarily associates with the traditional idea of God, or a God as the case may be. and that leads [me] to the thought: there's no such thing as a carbon-based God. because then he/she/it would be on equal terms with us flawed humans. [Jesus is in a separate category.]
not bad for a spot of poetry. considering this blog is [supposed to be] full of cappers i wonder why we haven't had more.
"at the top of a mountain of melting time
i watch the seas erupt
as a silver bird flies away with its tail of fire
flickering in the darkness of outer space.
and all the lonely microbes swirl up
and start over in the depths of the ice
this planet won't be empty for very long."
-anne lee
that was random. do you think if the earth gets over-polluted we'll leave it to rot and go destroy somewhere else? how self-serving these humans are. i'm almost ashamed to be one. but 70 years from the sky to the moon.. almost makes you forget and feel proud instead.
Well, the definition of perfect is clearly "without flaws". I suppose people would have different ideas on what they consider flaws. Yes, that is an interesting point in itself.
You make me mad when you don't press post & publish after you're done.
( A line I learnt from this book on Emotional Literacy. It makes me feel horribly pompous and American. )
In a sense, death is nothing to me as well. Recurring dreams of reality, the constant feeling that I'm trapped in a computer game that just goes on and on and on, frequent headaches, and constant emotionality, it seems that I'm as much a construct of the system, as I am the one who shapes the system. Is there a paradox there? Could a God create a world that he could not escape? Interesting question.
As of now, I'm slightly deluded, sedated, and not thinking clearly. Just took 2000mg of paracetamol (panadol), having a queasy feeling in my stomach, a desire to curl up and sleep, and having to slog through a book on education, while I didn't understand a single thing said in class today. I'm in limbo, and the anxiety of not being able to catch up with schoolwork worries me to the core.
Death... what is death? I've never experienced it, so I can't comment. But I'm not even sure if I'm alive, how can I be dead.
"I took a windy breath,
on the shoulder of a cold road.
Which stretched endlessly,
I looked back,
seeing none.
I gazed forth
seeing none.
I'm alone.
On a sarcastic mountain.
I've been here before.
I set forth again,
On the windy shoulder.
Turned the corner,
and took another windy breath."
The Loop - Kenneth Tan
Well, how's that for a spot of poetry?
only problem being that different people have different ideas of perfection.
"i thought of committing suicide b/c it's said that the good die young, but then i realized that it doesn't work that way. [in the Christian view, killing anyone is a sin, even yourself.] will someone kill me please?"
who's scared of death? i'm not. isn't that interesting? how some people are? and others not?
I'm not sure what's worse, dying without a cause, or dying for a "worthy cause" that may not be all that worthy to the rest of the world.
Just a thought after reading something about the sucide bombers. I think its rather sad that people don't have much of a cause.
That statement's just a popular myth. Pieces of brain that aren't used usually atrophy. Like how old age can really wreak havoc on a person's mental processes.
my dreams are foggy, with soft lighting, and beautiful people dressed brightly. And of course the usual deja vu dreams
Today wuz the last day of my 2 star course. Sighz, regret not asking for a person's contact information. Wuz a bit groggy, and she wuz in a hurry to leave. Oh well, Time will tell.
Had another revelation today, some background is needed. At the UWC scholarship interviews, which I flopped, the interviewer asked if I'd have a world with imperfect humans or perfect machines. And I answered imperfect humans, believing that the goal of humanity is to be perfect, and if we're already perfect, we'd have no goals and nothing to strive for. Today, I realized that perhaps, perfection is beautiful, and being perfect machines, and bringing beauty to the world, is not that bad a thing at all. It's a rather beautiful thought, to think that beauty can spread through the cosmos from our single planet.
they say people rarely use more than 20% of their brain capacity in their entire lifespan. or was that 2%, or 0.2%?
O_o, who knows.
dreams? nice and shiny? polished smooth wood and creamy-soft like bedsheets. that's what i think.
Ah I found it!!! I wanna join Raffles Players.
Was really impressed with BB:TT, the music, voices, script all flowed from scene to scene. It looked really high quality, all aspects of the production. I found Sarah Tan's voice strangely familiar, and her face too, kinda resembling a friend who has gone to the Aussies. Still, she's cute! That makes up for alot of things.
Well, I really wanna do a recording of their songs. I'm sure they'll wanna keep it for posterity. Anyone can provide me with a hookup? Much appreciated. I'll send a sample of my work if required. That sample will be released during open house, so I believe this is on a very need to listen to basis. But anyway, to whoever, thanks!!!
Yarp, more news on the stuff that I'm doing. I just went for the Solar Innovations briefing today, received the solar panels and all. Vanessa and Ding Ding were rather interesting, and we all got along well. Never new Mr Lee Tat Leong was so nice and friendly. Of course, thats probably because he teaches J2.
Took my psychometric test today, interesting little test. Probably scored full marks for the first section, 80% or more for the last section, and mebbie 65% for the maths section. Got stuck at a graph question.
Then I went for BB:TT as stated above, really wonderful play. I loved the set and the props and costumes, and dancing, but I'd like it better if the actors didn't all look so filthy throughout the entire thing. Dreams are always nice and shiny. Whoever has dirty, smudged dreams?
Of course, tomolo I'm going for a kayaking expedition. Gonna try out eskimo rolls etc. and enjoy a little picnic with friends.
Anyway, see you guys later.
Kenneth
Well, we've all got to be wary of generalizations at one time or another. Just got a mail from a friend far far away. Really happy when I received it. Ah, just been touched across the cosmos.
Good luck to all the J2s still reading this. You have 27 days to your Prelims. Work Hard. Don't read this. Go Away. Come back later.
Well, I suppose I've gotta come back later too~ gotta little solar power kit to collect tomolo for our competition, and a psychometric test to take. Wondering if I should do some tutorials. If its easy, my brain might become deader. If its rather difficult, I may use up too much brain power. Sighs. Regretting i didn't use my brain enough till now.
december: optimistic, philosophical and sincere. does anybody really believe in those horoscopic generalizations? and does anyone else find that an overabundance of arbitrary superlatives limits conversation?
kenneth? oh, all right. although you're probably the one whose name everyone now knows. excluding the ones with their own names for author-bracket-things.
it's hard to see the future with tears in your eyes. mohawk proverb. does any other rational being besides me think of shaving their heads or getting mohawks? come to think of it, i'm not a rational being. so that is an irrelevant question.
does spending your life trying to live up to the standards of others cheating yourself of your own enjoyment? is trying to achieve too many things that will fatten up your portfolio stuffing your own desires under the sofa cushions? i wanted to do so many things in the summer hols, and i wrote down at least 15, but it seems that i rarely have time for them. botheration.
Okay, now the blog is publishable. Why the hell do they have so many templates if they don't always work. Sighz.
Well, met alot of new faces recently, all rather interesting people. Perhaps I should really loosen up and go make more friends.
Arrgh this thing just won't publish.
nono, gimmie some time. I'm all busy with school and schoolwork, still, the philosophizing's still going on.
Was just having this really nice chat with this person, and we talked about our goals and the purpose of studying hard. I'd agree doing well does allow you a wide range of future opportunities, yet, I disagreed with what she said about a more fufilling life as a result. I think there are alot of ways to live your your life, and that there are never closed doors, only closed minds.
Somewhere in my consciousness, I'm just afraid that doing so much in life, leaves me with less time for myself, and living out my own life.
the CIP thingy sounds interesting.
i predict my life is going to be really really empty after track nats... :(
so! i should be pretty free, at least until exams.
i remember i used to have a lot to say about education / ed system, but i seem to have given up thinking about it.
track pretty much dominates my mind... not always good.i'm much less of a philosopher now, and RECESS IS ALMOST OVER!!
gah. will hafta go soon.
well women buy men's stuff all the time.
will reflect on the significance of that during chinese.
I suppose "kenneth"'s just more intimate, easier to type etc etc. Well, I'll bow down to popular opinion as long as you people don't confuse me with the Other Kenneth Tan, or the Kenneth Kwan, or the Kenneth that's in swimming I think that I don't really know.
Well... today wuz quite a good day, listened to hodge's speech, did my tutorials for once ... How? any people here motivated to start a CIP for the needy folks in one room flats? I wouldn't mind joining it, and I suppose it'll be quite interesting for a weblog to do something for the community. Anybody interested?
Well, I think the people crying that the system is too stressful is just bullshit. I mean its so hypocritical to enjoy all the benefits that being in the top stream has, yet refuse to accept the responsibility to study hard, and the pressure that comes with it. If the top JC's are too stressful, drop a subject, move to PJ, or poly or something. I mean, our system is flexible enough for you to enrol in a lighter course. It just means that its harder to climb back up.
And well, I suppose if a small community of Singaporeans decide that Singaporean schools are too stressful, and they'd rather have an easy life in some overseas bridging course, well, they'd be welcome to spend their money. I'd rather save on the expense, go to a government subsidized poly, have fun, and use the expenses saved to enter an Aussie Uni that's probably more recognized in Singapore. I don't think its the system. Its the thinking.
Aside. I do agree with some people that our streaming occurs too early. And perhaps this puts undue pressure on developing kids to study harder than they should be. But if you think about it from the government's perspective, they're trying to do the opposite, and to allow those students who do not have the aptitude now, to take an easier course, that may be better on their ego, and give them more time to develop other talents. I had this new perspective on exams just a while ago during my A level orals. Taking a test is like going to the doctor's for a checkup. Well, the results you get are reflective of the YOU of that day, and the prescription rightly reflects that. Thats why the system has frequent "checkups" anyway, to ensure that you're getting the course that's most suitable for you. But in the end, you have the final decision on which medicine to take(educational course), or how often to take it(doing homework etc).
That's all I have to say on education.
Recently , I wuz out shopping for a watch, having lost my previous at NUS. Well, it seemed that every funky, cute looking, interesting watch I saw was female wear, while every boring, huge, dysfunctional, mechanical watch I saw was male. Is this a reflection of the times? Or maybe a hidden psychometric test. I kept picking the female models... what does it say about me?
It seems weird, that at a time when women are trying to break free of feminine stereotypes, men are still shackled to the idea of big is better by the fashion moguls. Do men, deep in their hearts, still believe that size is most important? Or could it be the more discerning female shopper, which requires more effort on the part of the designer to design for?
I bought a huge watch, after being told the last 5 teensy weensy multifunctional lightweight watches were women wear. Well... now I can't stand to have it take up space on my wrist, and take it off whenever I have to write. oh BTW, its some 200m diver's watch, and no, I don't intend to go diving.
hurrah hurrah, judith and downhere (kenneth, i presume?)! i agree partly with both of you. kenneth, (sorry) you're right about singapore being the closest embodiment of meritocracy. however, judith's got a point about the system being unfair to late bloomers. i don't want to sound like an expert on the differences between singapore and other countries' (namely the US) education systems, but i'd like to believe i have at least enough experience in both to be able to criticize them. [if you look at the times i post you'll notice they're in the weirdest hours of the night. according to you. translated from the anne, that means i'm not in singapore.]
back to the point. in America, they try too hard to be fair. they don't want to make anybody feel bad, so they spend a lot of money polishing up the lower, less proficient classes. a lot of money gets spent on special education for underprivileged children. because of the "no child left behind" bill, which states that everybody (child) should be allowed to reach their potential. only problem is, that everybody's oohing over the poor underprivileged kids, the ones who have learning disabilities, and the unfortunate result is that the topmost bracket gets ignored. ignored? yes, fine, that's all very well. problem is that when people try to allow for the top-top students, the special express classes, OUTRAGE! "you're wasting the taxpayers money! these kids already have all the opportunities they need! if they're so smart, why don't they go to private school?" and that's the inflexibility of the american system. because these kids need their education too, right? but they're not getting it at the level they should. with private schools costing between US$8000 and 15000 a year, that's not a very viable option. private schools only offer so many scholarships. streaming, which is something that *might* help, gets rebutted every time it happens. when we had our state-wide exams, the newspapers were filled with parent protests about how their children might be emotionally traumatized by bad results, or how unfair the system was. the truth is that [i would swear this to you, hand-on-heart] most american children are about as bad in grammar and vocabulary as singaporeans at their age level. or maybe even worse. don't even get me started about math and science and computer technology. [but then again, look at sports. every day after school for at least 2 hours.]
america, in her trying to portray an all-embracing (read between the lines: especially poor, underprivileged children who need all the help they can get) society, backfires on herself by denying the bright, intelligent children who need just as much help. the american system is at least as rigid as the singaporean one. and let's not even go into all the [true] stereotypes of race, athleticism, popularity.
now for the singaporean system. this is something commonly denounced as rigid. stressful. quite rightly. but it does give its students a very strong foundation in what they learn. the standards are exacting, and some of the curricula have been taught the same way for a few years now. you know how you can show some of your primary school worksheets to ex-gepers now in university and they'll remember doing the same kind (if not the same) worksheet? yet it seems to work pretty well. the best thing about a rigid, step-by-step "i tell you what to do and you follow" system is that you get standard results. in america, you pick what classes you want. you can do all the easy ones and breeze through school with all As or all Fs. or you can pick the hard courses and come out Bs and Cs. and unless people ask discerningly which courses you took you can say, truly, that you got all As in high school. in singapore, standard standard standard actually "compared to the rest of the bunch" results. perhaps more simplistic and easier to generalize. but i thought it worked. singapore's forte is they give you something to learn, you learn it, and they test you on how well you've learned it. did it well? very good. didn't do well? study harder. the supposed phenomenon in singapore is the ubiquitous pressure to excel. parents, teachers, peers keep pushing you to bring out your best. and it's expected, because.. because everybody wants to do their best, don't they? asian mindset and in the asian mind it's true. do well and don't lose face. which might just be the foible of this system. because times are changing, and it's beginning to be established that there are more things in life than just "Get an Education, Find a Job, and Stay Employed" [sounds like a good propaganda maxim] what's beginning to appear, is that there's more than one way to skin a cat. and there aren't just cats to be skinned, there are rabbits, elephants, and loch ness monsters. things are different, and although school is still important what employers are looking for nowadays is all-roundedness. thankfully the government's starting to change that already, but in the singapore system, what i think could be improved is the availability of volunteer work and more chances for kids to see outside of the "perfect, futuristic" singapore; the rural areas with the little modern amenities and technology that we've become so accustomed to.
very basically. the difference is that one emphasizes helping those on the lower rungs climb up a little, and the other glorifies the top few rungs so that they are seen as the shining ideal.
i'm starting to get stiff now, so i won't talk any more for a while.
point to ponder: did you know an A is a percentage above 93 here? compare that with >75 for RGS. and yet, As aren't a particularly common occurence. except among the -A-sians, i wonder why.
anyhow, on mugging: do you (i forget who) honestly think mugging more makes us superior to other countries' students? more a's yes, but does that translate into more productive, creative workforce? it doesn't. at the end of the day, a singaporean who has gone through the singaporean education system is no better than another country's student, he has merely memorised and forgotten more things. sure, he has the shiny statistics the government publishes about singapore being the best in passing math, science, or whatever tests, but what of that? it's just a test, not a measure of our education. sorry if i'm being cynical, but i don't think i'm cynical without a reason. i believe youth is something not meant to be wasted cooped up with a textbook. and any education system that takes away play from a child - play which is the most natural and fundamental way of learning about our environment and other people - must have something seriously wrong with it.
"Singapore's education system is near perfect"? give me a break. if you're talking about being flexible, and welcoming and embracing change, our system certainly isn't that. sure, they identify trends, like now it's creativity and life sciences, but at the same time they cling on to the old system when what it really needs is a rehaul. i mean, look at project work. we're doing it on -top- of completing the o'levels, not in the place of it. the trouble is the ministry is afraid of taking risks, when that is precisely what they need to encourage now. they don't realise that the previous revolution, the shift to industrialisation, is different from the current shift to an information-based economy. you cannot be creative by following a set of rules in a fixed system; in fact the very definition of creativity is to break out of the current frameworks, and to fail to conform.
what's worse about our system, the competitiveness, is not because of some intrinsic evil in singaporeans which makes us dissatisfied. it is the outward manifestation of an unforgiving system. our system does not allow for room for failure. if you're not in EM1 in primary school, it's difficult for you to get into the Special stream. if you're in EM3, you can forget about being streamed into express. and this is just at the primary school level, before late developers have time to reach their potential. even later, say entering university, if you don't get the course you want, that's it. if you have the money you go overseas, if not you get channeled into something that doesn't interest you, and then once you're in the work place, you can forget about going back to study. my mother is in australia now, and she says that half the graduates there are over 40 - people whom have had their second, sometimes even third chance. just think how much human resources being unforgiving is making singapore lose? here we can't even think that the little old ladies we see tottering in the bus as anything but useless and, at best, to be respected because of their age and nothing else. our system has a long way to go, and what's more, it doesn't seem keen on changing for the better. this is worrying because given the current trends, it can only get worse.
finally! People! Life!
Was taking photographs at West Coast Park today. First photog club outing for me. Well, I ran to the coast and took a few pictures of the fading sunset. Juxtaposing the aging sampans and motorboats against the shiny PSA port in the background.
Singapore's over developed. Everywhere we go, development, modernization strikes us in the face. When was the last time you heard someone drop coins into the coin box on the bus, or saw people queueing up to use the coin phone at the neighbourhood coffee shop. When was the last time you could bargain with someone instead of accepting the 15% discount (over the Reccomended Retail Price), or tipped someone for good service?
I think Singapore's problem lies in it being too developed mechanically. I think more should be left to people - people interaction, less to people - machine interactions. In the past, when I wanted a drink or a tidbit, I went to the mamashop, now I go to a vending machine. Well, we were familiar with the uncle, and when we bought stuff from him he'd always throw in something extra. Maybe a sweet or a lollypop. Try getting a vending machine to do that. Or even basics like bargaining. Only the older generation does it now. The younger generation goes to shops that display NETT price. Where would the young people learn bargaining skills, persuasive skills and appraising skills that they'll need in the marketplace? People just accept that the value of the product they're buying is equivalent to the price they're paying, but this may not be the case all the time, or even most of the time.
Singaporeans are screwed because they are prepared for the future, a time that does not exist everywhere yet. And its a shock to them when they see the real world out there. There are places much worse than rural Malaysia.
Of course, one of the things I believe in is that the Singaporean education system is pretty good. Its actually quite ideal. What's hardest to change is the views of the society itself. I spoke to a MFA guy in Taiwan about that and he said, the Ministry of Education is always promoting change. They're always setting up new schools and posting idealistic young men and women in those schools to encourage change. But there's resistance to change in the system, driftwood that retards this change. I think thats true with respect to the entire society as well. My parents believe lifelong employment is something great, that doctors and lawyers make the most money, that the rest is not worth doing. That charity is good only if others do it, I'll just provide monetary support. That the arts is irrelevant because all you want in life is to Get an Education, Find a Job, and Stay Employed. Well, I believe that if your boss drops you one day, with the limited experience of being in only one company, you'll be begging to be let back in cos you ain't independent or networked enough to feel comfortable in another company. Why help others hold you hostage?
I digressed. Sorry.
But let me just state for the benefit of everybody why I believe our system is near perfect, and where it should and can be changed.
Our system is the perfect embodiment of Meritocracy. Each year, students are tested, and almost every 2 years, they are streamed. This gives them the right load for their abilities, and caters for them when their abilities increase or decrease. This is actually Mass Customization at work, where every student is stretched to his/her fullest, which is what we want.
However, some people believe that equality extends to the type of education received, and that people should be educated equally well. E.g No streaming, everyone just gets assigned to the nearest schools, no rankings etc. Well. To me it's as realistic as saying everyone should wear the same clothes and underwear, cos everyone is entitled to the same amount of cloth because they pay the same price.
Secondly, Singaporeans are never satisfied. They always want more. People in Normal wanna go Express, people in EM2 wanna go EM1. I suppose goals are good, but people should also be satisfied with where they are. Why put undue stress on yourself, consistently OVER-ACHIEVE and believe that you're UNDER-ACHIEVING. I think that's the saddest result of all.
I think our teachers deserve all the respect they can get. Teaching is like charity work. Teachers are expected to give their all, hearts minds and souls, yet behave like its all in a day's work, deal with parents screaming for more work for their child etc. I'm sure parents don't scream for their doctor to prescribe more medicine or scream for their bosses to give them more work. Yet when the subject is their child, they refuse to respect the professional opinion of the teacher. I hate them for that.
maybe i'm just another brainwashed turn-out of the System, but i'd rather be in singapore's education than the US's, any day. no matter how cliqueish our schools are here, i'm convinced that it's much worse in the US. besides, i'd be terribly annoyed by the unwritten rule that you've got to be pretty/attached/athletic to count.
though you must understand that this opinion is gathered straight from the Media, which is another good thing to blame besides the System. ( i have spoken to americans before, though, and they generally agree that the Media reflects school life quite well, as the Media goes. )
as for people. yeah. for the first time i truly dislike my class. the people are quite fine/tolerable/fun on their own, but when they become one huge entity then i begin wishing they'd all just shut up and give the poor teachers some respect for once.
( dear me. i do sound like a brainwashed sheep, no? )
we mug too much in singapore. people in the US spend a lot of time hanging out and being boliao.
know what? people make me sick sometimes. a lot of the time. and sometimes stupid people are eminently difficult to tolerate. (the understatement of the year, hurrah hurrah.)
there used to be this whole big debate about IQ vs. EQ. wonder if EQ's something you can train up, or you have to be born with it? what about talking? some people are natural talkers and others are awkward. ditto the above question.
and then. telephones are uncomfortable. for me, at least. i don't like them unless i'm doing useful stuff. and i don't like leaving messages on answering machines. used to hate it, in fact, but now i'm getting better. i wish people wouldn't be so generic about their answering machines/voicemail msgs. hi this is so and so please leave your name, number and a short msg after the tone. beep. i tried to record a more interesting one the other day but ran over my 60 sec of allotted record time.. life is full of restrictions. and life itself is a restriction, a time/space ultimatum that one has just one chance to fulfill.
i've been told that school is a waste of time. but i think that everything is what you make of it. of course, it's entirely possible to waste all your school years and hit the real world unprepared.. or not. in the end, is street smart better than book smart?
people in the US seem to talk more readily. have they grown up in a more accepting society, a talkier one? i wonder if it's better to have a huge bunch of acquaintances [fast friends] or a small group of close friends.
i wonder if they think rationally less too. "i pledge allegiance to the flag of the US of A, and to the rep. for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." excuse me while i go outside and cough a bit. liberty and justice for all, my foot. indivisible, my foot. less than a week before the 4th of july independence day a judge in california had the smart idea to remove "under God" from the pledge. hello, they only just put it in around 1954 and now you want to take it out a gain just b/c this guy feels his atheist daughter may be traumatized by hearing (you don't even have to say it anymore) in school and he sued the government?
i'm pretty sure familiarity breeds contempt. don't you always find that the same thing your brother does, your friend might get away with much more easily?
sorry for the scattered thoughts. fireworks go to my head.
Well... in the throes of death this blog is. Well, I suppose that's better for me, cos I can monopolize the thing and talk about all the things I hate and just bitch.
Today Miss Low (of Chem teacher fame) walked out of our class and cried after she compared us to Normal(Academic) kids and said that at least Normal(Academic) kids have passion for the subject. She also said that we were the first class that she didn't love. Ughz... I'd agree too... I hate some elements of my class. 3 people in fact. Don't get me wrong, they're nice people, but they make damn lousy classmates. As dependable as a tower built of sand I'd say. Just when the teacher wuz so pissed, someone had to say, GO! GO! and I won't miss you after that. Intelligence of 0, social skills equally high.
Felt sad today. Right now in fact. Dunno who I can depend on, can't find an easily available listening ear, I hate the telephone cos I'll be disturbing someone, so I guess I'll just restart this Blog. Sad because people don't see that morals and character education is important, that individuality is represented by a total lack of tact and consideration for others. And that our school system keeps us so busy we'd just spend all the time mugging. I'm seriously considering 3 subjects, but I don't think it'll make a whole lot of difference. Its just that the twenty percent of the people in school who care about the school end up doing eighty percent of the work, while the rest just mug useless facts, and destroy stuff, and steal stuff and cause fights.
Sad also cause I've got this huge list of people to e-mail and hopefully keep in contact with, but no time to spare to write individually meaningful messages to each, and share with them my experiences. Maybe this weekend, I'll spend one entire night writing. Of course, it doesn't help that a whole bunch of them are taiwanese that don't read english very well.
Still, somehow, i find people NOT from Singapore make faster friends. Our education system really doesn't teach people how to make new friends all the time and KEEP them. I'm quite amazed that taiwanese that haven't even met us before made such fast friends with Justina that she even bought her a music box, and gave it to her a week later when we were leaving. Some NUS girl I met from China my age, also sent me a pic of her at her friend's house, and invited me to visit her at NUS's hostels or her sembawang home when I have the time. She may be comming to RJ, I'll show her around. Back to taiwanese, I've made rather fast friends with two rather pretty and nice girls in taiwan, quite touching how they tend to chase after you for photos, and wave and wave after the bus leaves. Even though it was an hour, it seemed like eternity.
Could it be familarity breeds contempt at work? I find unapproachable Singaporean girls irritating. Not like they'd win Miss Singapore or even Miss RJC. Still, the bubbly ones are nice. mebbie I wuz lucky enough to meet only the bubbly ones in taiwan and china. I dunno.. Can imagine a new workshop in the future. How to make fast friends without being a jerk, without acting cool when you're most definitely not. Sighz.
My biased opinion.
I'm not that great at socializing either. I'll go sign up when they start that workshop.
